A closer look at the dykes.

Meaux Abbey -- even more understood

Chris Coulson

On Thursday (17-8-20017) Gill, my able volunteer, and I did what could be our final foray to the Meaux Abbey site for a few weeks. The reason is we need to regroup our thoughts about what we know and how we need to progress and there are also plenty of other ancient places to look at in East Yorkshire!

The day started dull it having rained overnight which did not bode well for tramping for, as it turned out, 5 hours through the long wet grass on the site. The forecast however, was for the day to get warmer and more sunny but his had the side effect of making us sweat because of the heat and high humidity. But you can't win them all!

In the 1100s the land of the Hull Valley was largely flooded but there were small areas above the water. These formed a series of islands from Driffield in the north to the Humber in the south but these islands were only a 5m above sea level. Not much when you consider tidal effects at the Humber end and fresh water flooding at the northern end. It was on such islands that Tickton, Wawne and Sutton developed. The dykes that the monks dug across their land were not deep, 1.5 to 2 m. but deep enough for their needs. The much greater depth of the present Holderness Drain is testament to the greatly lowered water table level which is now well below the depth of the original dykes that the monks dug.

Fig 1. The relation between the major dykes associated with Meaux Abbey. The white line marks the route of the original Monkdike.

Eschedike/Ashdike/Monkdike

The location of Eschedike was a problem to us in our early visits until we realised where the Outer Court and Greater Court were (Fig1). This established that the Eschedike was the north/south dyke on the west side of the site. For some time I though this was the Cotedike but this is further north and out of the Abbey precincts.

The initial big dykes that were dug were not to drain the land but to allow the monks to reach the River Hull and thus the Humber for trading. However, they must have had some effect on lowering the water table. The Eschedike was the first major dyke to be dug (1160-1182) and ran out of the south end of the site. It was about 1.5 m deep and 5 m wide. This dyke joined the Ashdike which then ran south west towards the River Hull, thus connecting the Abbey to the Humber for trading purposes. At the point where the Ashdike met the Eschedike the Monkdike (dug 1210-20), running east/west, joined them at right angles (Fig 1 or OS map 293). To the east side of the site the Monkdike was eventually incorporated into the Holderness Drain (Started 1764 Commissioned 1772) but from about a quarter of way west across the southern end of the site the Monkdike seems to have run a few yards further north of the current Holderness Drain (Fig 1).

The depth of the Holderness Drain (Fig2) and the position of the Monkdike/Eschedike junction just north of the drain means there is nothing to be seen of the Ashdike in the drains north bank as the bank is covered with Hawthorn bushes. On the south drain bank a small bump in the earth probably represents the filling in of the Ashdike to allow farm machinery to pass along the track. Although the line of the Ashdike can clearly be seen there is no longer an obvious ditch though it must have been deep enough and wide enough to accommodate boats from the abbey.

Eig 2. Holderness Drain looking west. The 'trees' in the distance top left mark the Ashdike

Eschedike/Monkdike branch junction

In passing I should point out that I use the word 'branch' in connection with the word Monkdyke to separate the Monkdite that zig-zags across the site from the main Monkdyke at the south end of the site, now the Holderness Drain. When we found this junction it's how you might envision it. To stand on the floor of the dyke at this point is to be transported back a thousand years. There is no imagination needed to see what 'happens' at this point but the photos in poor light from a 'simple' camera can't make up for your own eyes. Coming up out of the Monkdike branch into the turbaria the east side of the Eschedike is steeply banked, (Fig 7) a result of the soil removed from the dyke being dug and thrown to the east. Perhaps to reduce flooding of the turbaria.

Fig 3 Standing on the floor of the Monkdike Branch

Fig 4 The junction of the Monkdike branch and Eschedike

The Ashdike From the OS map 293 only some of the story of this dyke might be understood. From its junction with the Eschedike the distance to the River Hull is a little over 2100 metres (2.1 km) and from the OS map the Ashdike ends at Carr House some 1000 metres from the river Hull (Ashdike 1, Fig 4). Carr is a reminder of the medieval name for the land type here about. This distance shortfall could have been puzzling until you remember that the land was flooded so the Ashdike could have just gone to the flooded part and not right to the River Hull. Quite plausible. However, looking at Fig 4 there is obvious evidence of this dyke going beyond Carr House for about another 700 meters (Ashdike 2) but still ending about 350 metres short of the River Hull. The question arises -- as the flooded land was drained was the Ashdike extended or was it always this long? Little remains of the Ashdike

Fig 5 The remains of the Ashdike. It ran towards the River Hull

The Turbaria

The large flat area of abbey land bounded by the Holderness drain in the south and the zig-zag branch of the Monkdike to the north, was the Turbaria which was the area where turf was dug. (Fig 6). Turfs seem to have been used for raising or mending dyke walls. This is a large area with an un-named dyke seemingly isolating a piece of land between it and the Monkdyke branch (Fig 8). It is possible it played a role in moving cut turf away by boat.

Fig 6 View south east across the turbaria from the south edge of the Mondike branch

Fig 7 The banked east side of the Eschedike

Fig 8 In an unnamed dyke in the turbaria. It could be part of the Monkdike branch.

The Watermill

This stands at the southern end of the mill pond which was fed by the Eschedike (Fig 9). The pond was quite large, we estimated about 90 by 18 metres with an estimated depth of 4-5 feet so about 2400 cubic metres of water. The floor of the pond is likely to have been puddled gley (clay which has been waterlogged and has no oxygen in it). The watermill seems to have been rebuilt or at least patched up several times. The materials ranging from medieval bricks, more modern bricks and stone taken from parts of the abbey. It is likely that the mill was used after the dissolution of the abbey in 1539. Originally L shaped the remaining footing under the grass suggests that materials dating from the late 1700s may have been used. The water wheel is likely to have been an undershot one, there being no obvious raised head race. There must have been sluices to allow the water to be diverted to either reduce the power or stop the wheel.

Fig 9 The remains of the watermill

The Monastery Kitchen Garden

This was a large flattish area in the south west part of the site north of the Mondike branch and east of the mill pond. We walked part of this to see if we could make out any areas and also if we could see any plants which might have been volunteer plants communities 'left over' from the Monastery. Because any substructures like irrigation ditches would be small and the area was covered by couch grass and other grasses we couldn't find anything. We plan to go back when the vegetation has died back a bit which will give us time to study the lay out of such kitchen gardens.

Fig 10 A view across part of the Kitchen Garden

More information can be found in past postings on this site

I acknowledge the help of Jan, Jayne and Gill for their company and ideas. Anne Marie Coulson for drawing the abbey out line on previous maps. Also the Beaulah family and Mr G H Beaulah (deceased) for his 1977 site map.